After a first leg result of Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, big clash this evening at 20.45.

So here we are. La Liga is pretty much wrapped up by now, so Barcelona must do well in the Champions League to make this a successful season. Winning it is never a given, but the semi-finals should be a realistic target. But in order to reach the Final Four, Barça have to get past Chelsea at Camp Nou and reach the quarter-finals first.

Blaugrana and Blues clash on Wednesday night in what should be the most competitive tie in the whole Round of 16. Antonio Conte’s Chelsea played a fantastic first leg and Barça were really lucky (and by lucky I mean Lionel Messi) to not lose at Stamford Bridge, and they have to improve a whole lot to reach the next stage.

This will be a really tough game for Barça, and Ernesto Valverde has a chance to silence some of his critics if his team plays a great game in front of the Camp Nou crowd.

You’re nervous yet?

Meanwhile, why don't you learn some vocabulary to do with football?

How do you play football?

The aim of the game is to score the most goals by the end of a game (match).
There are two goals at each end of the pitch. A team scores a goal by getting the ball into the opponent's goal.
For an official game there are eleven players on each team. A goalkeeper and ten other players who take various positions on the pitch. In an international match there are also 3 possible substitutes. They sit in the dugout with the manager and the coach and only play if another player is injured, or if the coach decides to let them play.
Each team wears a kit (uniform), and each player has a number. Different teams have different colours (strips), there is one strip for a home match, and another for an away match.
The start of a football match is called the kick off.
The ball is kicked using the foot (hence the name football), and apart from the goalkeeper (goalie), players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hand or forearm when the ball is in play.
The match is played on a pitch, which is measured in yards.
The corners of the pitch are marked using corner flags.
The pitch includes a penalty area (18 yard box) and the six yard box.
There is a referee and two assistant referees (linesmen) who oversee the game, and enforces all the rules.
If the ball is kicked out of play the other team can take a corner kick, or a throw in depending on where the ball left the pitch.
A match last 90 minutes: two halves of 45 minutes each. At halftime the teams swap ends. Additional time can be added on to the end of the game.
If anyone breaks the rules, they can be punished, the referee might show a player a yellow card (a warning), issue a free shot, or a penalty to the other team, or for the worst offences a player may be sent off (shown a red card), leaving their team a player short.
If the game is a draw by the end, the result can be decided by playing extra time, until one of the teams scores - a golden goal (it used to be called sudden death).  If there are no goals after both periods of extra time, it goes to penalties in a shootout.

 

Do you often have to engage in debates in class or at work?
Or perhaps you are getting ready for your IELTS or CAE exams?
If so, have a look at these sentence openers.

As a matter of fact...
In regard to...
It comes as no surprise that...
Small wonder that...
It is important to note that ...
On the one hand, ...On the other hand, ...
Luckily, ...
So, to sum it up, ... 
Honestly, ...
Personally, I believe ...
As I see it, ...
For all I know, ...
To my way of thinking, ...
We can safely assume that...
To the best of our knowledge, ...

They are short phrases which may help you gain time when looking for something to say.

 
 

Trobes difícil l'assignatura d'anglès? 

VOLEM AJUDAR-TE!!!

Aquest dissabte hi ha una sessió d'estudi on podrem ajudar-te amb els dubtes que tinguis sobre les estructures que t'entren a l'examen. 
Porta el llibre de l'escola i una professora t'ajudarà a preparar el teu examen. 
Per assistir-hi només has de comunicar-ho a la secretaria d'Accent Idiomes abans de divendres.

Talking about idioms,

see if you can match the idiomatic expression used here with its real meaning!

1.      George applied for a building permit and was shocked to find all the "red tape" involved. What did he mean? (1 point)

a)      Tape used to outline where buildings are built.

b)     Everything had to be bound with a certain coloured tape.

c)      There was lots of paperwork that to be filled out

d)     A red tape recorder recorded everything.

2.      Grandma told my mom she was feeling "in the pink". How was she feeling? (1 point)

a)      She was sick to her stomach.

b)     She was feeling well.

c)      She was feeling dizzy.

d)     She was feeling like a lady.

3.      Edgar was "tickled pink" when he heard from his friend. What does that mean? (1 point)

a)      A bunch of people got him down, tickled him and made him laugh.

b)     Tickling nearly made him have a heart attack.

c)      His friend likes to tickle him.

d)     He was delighted to hear from his friend. 

4.      When my uncle heard his neighbor bought a new car, he was "green with envy." Why? (1 point)

 

a)      He had lots of money.

b)     He had a serious infection.

c)      He was very jealous.

d)     He had a mossy growth on him.

5.      Mrs. O'Leary says her neighbor, Jim, has "a heart of gold." What does she mean? (1 point)

a)      He has a very valuable pacemaker.

b)     He has tattoos on his chest..

c)      He is a very kind, honest person.

d)     He is a selfish, evil person.

6.      Mr. Jones said his business was "in the black" now.
What does that mean? (1 point)

a)      He bought some oil fields.

b)     It only runs at night.

c)      It is losing money.

d)     It is making a profit.

7.      Carole has been told that her problem is that she looks at life through "rose-colored glasses." What does that mean? (1 point)

a)      She needs glasses that are not tinted.

b)     She sees things as they are, not as they should be.

c)      She keeps peeking through goblets raised over her corneas.

d)     She sees things as they should be, not as they are.